Seeing Jesus Clearly

June 3rd, 2025
by Pastor Orlando Juarez

Treasuring Him Changes Everything

Have you ever stopped to ask yourself: How do I really see Jesus?

Is He just your Sunday morning go-to? Your emergency backup plan?
Or is He your everything—your Lord, your Treasure, the One you trust most?

That question is at the heart of our new series, Sozo: Treasure. And how you answer it shapes everything—from how you approach God to how you live your daily life.

What Does “Sozo” Really Mean?

The word sozo is a powerful Greek term used throughout the New Testament. It doesn’t just mean “saved from sin.” It means healed, delivered, made whole—completely restored in body, soul, and spirit.

But here’s the thing: most of us settle for less.
Not because God is holding back.
But because we don’t always see Jesus clearly.

What We Learn from the Leper (Matthew 8)

Let’s look at a powerful moment in Scripture—Matthew 8. Right after Jesus finishes the Sermon on the Mount, a leper approaches Him.

Now, this wasn’t normal—lepers were considered unclean. This man was an outcast, yet he still came forward and said:

“Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” (Matthew 8:2)

That short sentence is packed with bold faith and shows what it looks like when Jesus is your treasure.

3 Things the Leper Got Right

1. He didn’t just want healing—he wanted to be clean.

He understood what we often forget: being right with God is the real miracle. Healing was secondary.

It’s not just about relief—it’s about complete restoration!

2. He saw Jesus for who He really was.

Not just a miracle worker. Not just a good teacher.

He saw Jesus as Messiah.

“The crowds were amazed… for He taught with real authority.” (Matthew 7:28–29)

When you see Jesus rightly, you can approach Him boldly.

3. He worshiped first.

Before asking for anything, he honored Jesus. His focus wasn’t just on the need—it was on who Jesus is.

Treasuring Jesus transforms your brokenness into wholeness.

How Jesus Responded Will Wreck You (In the Best Way)

Jesus didn’t hesitate.
He touched him.

“Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ He said. ‘Be clean!’ And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” (Matthew 8:3)

Let that sink in!

Most people avoided lepers. According to the law, if you touched a leper, you became unclean. But not Jesus.

When He touches something unclean—it becomes clean.

That’s what He does for you, too. He doesn’t flinch at your mess. He moves toward it. That’s the power of the Sozo life.

Your Obedience Is a Testimony

Jesus told the man to go and show himself to the priest, just as the law required. Why?

Because when you’ve been changed, it should show.

“Go… this will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.” (Matthew 8:4)

When we encounter Jesus, our lives speak louder than our words.
We don’t stay stuck in our past.
We walk forward—clean, confident, and called.

So What’s Holding You Back?

Jesus isn’t just an option—He is Lord.

And how you see Him will determine how you follow Him.
When you treasure Him as Lord, His words stop feeling like suggestions. They become your foundation.

That’s what Jesus meant when He said:

“Anyone who listens to My teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock…” — Matthew 7:24–25

Ready to Live the Sozo Life?

Try this for one week:
Live as if Jesus is not only your Savior, but your Lord and Treasure.

Let His voice be the loudest.
Let His Word shape your decisions.
Let His grace define your worth.

When you see Him clearly, you’ll follow Him confidently. That’s what the Sozo life is all about—wholeness, healing, and living from your true identity in Christ.